Improvement in valves for engines



UNTTEE STATES PATENT QEEro'Eo JAMES BULGER, JR., OF WILLIAMSBURG,BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN VALVES FOR ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,388, dated February2, 1875; application filed December 30, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BULGER., Jr., of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Valves for Steam-Engines; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot'the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specilication.

This invention consists in a certain combination, with a balanced mainpiston-valve, oi' duplicate balanced piston-regulatin g valves andpassages, controlled by the latter for adjusting the supply of steam tothe main valve in accordance with the requirements of the engine, saidcombination forming avery simple, practical, and etlicient means, whichnot only embodies a balanced action of all the valves, but also a promptregulation of the supply of steam to both ends ofthe main valve.

In the accompanying drawing, the regulating-valves are shown as arrangedvertically, and the main valve horizontally; but this relativeposition'ot said valves may be reversed; or all the valves may bedisposed horizontally or otherwise.

Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 2, a verticaltransverse section, mainly through the cylinder of one of theregulating-valves, and Fig. 3 ahorizontal section through the cylinderof the main valve.

A is the main inlet for the steam to a jacket or annular space, b,surrounding the central portion of the cylinder B, in which the mainvalve works. In open connection with this annular space b are passages dd, which are in communication with the cylinders O C of theregulating-valves. These cylinders, which are arranged at opposite endsof the main-valve cylinder B, are in constant communication, at theirinner ends, with said cylinder B beyond the throw or working stroke ofthe main valve, and the passages d d not onlyconnect with the cylindersC C below the regulating-valves D D, but also, by branches e e, with theouter ends of said cylinders above the regulatingvalves. The main valveG G, which may be reciprocated by means ot' an eccentric, or oth-Aerwise, and controls the ports ff, which lead to opposite ends of theengine-cylinder, and the general exhaust-passage g is composed otduplicate pistons or heads, each formed with a-n annular exhaust-cavity,h. Said pistons or heads, a-s thus constructed and applied, will alwaysbe balanced, and are constantly exposed, at their outer opposite ends,to the incoming steam, each piston virtually forming a separate valve toits adjacent end ot' the engine-cylinder, thus economizing waste.

As only the outer end otl the pistons operate over the ports and passagej' j' and g, exhaust-steam passing into the annular cavities h has notendency to counteract the balanced action of the valve.

The regulating-valves D .D yare plain pistonvalves, and, accordingly asthey are simultaneously worked in or out, serve to open, shut olf, orregulate the supply of steam by the passages d l to the cylinder of themain valves. As steam` passes to both ends of the regnlating-valves bythe passages cl d and their branches ce, said valves are perfectlybalanced as regards pressure. The regulating-valves D D aresimultaneously Worked in or out, within their respective cylinders, byinclined slotted portions k 7c ot' a. slide, H, or by any other suitablemeans. They may thus be operated by hand, or by the governor of theengine.

I claim- 'Ihe combination, with the double-piston main valve G Gr, oftheregulating piston-valves D D and the steam-passages Z d, with theirbranches e e, all for operation, in relation with each other and withthe parts controlled by the main valves, substantially as shown anddescribed.

JAMES BULGER, JR'.

Witnesses HENRY T. BROWN, MICHAEL RYAN.

